Prepare a polarization analysis for the document below

3.2. Problem Statement- what problem are you addressing When patients come to the clinic it has been identified that they spend a lot of time waiting at the outpatient department. This is as a result of the under-listed problems:

• The long time it takes to retrieve folders: It sometimes takes a long time to find the locations of, and retrieve some folders at the medical records unit before taking them to the OPD.
• Misplaced or lost folders: Some folders are misplaced between their movement around units such as wards, theatre, radiology, laboratory, pharmacy and sometimes the administrative and accounts units.
• Different and new folders for every location: the folder number and folder of a patient in Accra is different from his/her folder in Kumasi

4. Technology-based Solution

4.1. Objective of the Study

The objective of this study is to find a possible solution to reduce waiting time at the out-patient department which comprises the records, cash office, vital unit, treatment room, radiology, laboratory, and pharmacy, and to ensure that within a week the turn-around time for eighty percent of the clients would be seventy minutes.

This will be done by introducing electronic folders on a web-based system that complies with all hospital protocols, policies, and standards as well as medico-legal issues in the system to replace the existing hardcopy medical folders in the system.

4.2. Why choose this solution

Most Electronic Medical Record applications are designed to be both web-based and offer a touch screen user interface. As a result, the products are highly differentiated and easy to use. Core EMR offers functionality for charting, problem lists, medication management, electronic prescribing, allergy checks, order management, lab tests, and document management, among other capabilities. The system can also be configured to meet a providers personal charting preferences and custom forms can be implemented to work with the touch screen technology. EMRs can be deployed standalone or in conjunction with other practice management systems.

This choice is also cheaper and more cost-effective and requires no needed human capital since the hospital already has the staff to support it.

4.3. Other options were considered

Another option considered was of a nontechnological base and very expensive to maintain both in the short and long term.

This would be to increase the number of medical records personnel, decentralize the unit and attach a Medical Records Section to the various medical units in the hospital so that for every unit a patient visits, a folder would be created for that particular unit.

This means a patient who visits both the Accra and Kumasi hospitals can have multiple folders in one particular hospital depending on the facilities he/she visits in a particular hospital..

It will deal with the problem of Lost or Misplaced folders but not Different and new folders for every location. It will rather worsen that particular challenge.

5. Addressing the Challenges
   1. . Electronic Medical Folders

Many healthcare organizations are finding the need for better management of patient or medical records, billing support documents, insurance documentation and employee files. Part of this management is due to regulatory compliance concerns such as the Ghana Council of Physicians and Surgeons (GCPS) for secure document storage, activity logs, and document access, and there is also the concern of trying to provide the best in patient care through an effective and efficient file and workflow automation. In addition, modern healthcare providers are seeking EHRS and EMRS Document Management certification for meaningful use.

Cocoa Clinic is one such health facility that has automated some of their facilities with the exception of the medical records system and as such the challenges they face with the system. Should the Clinic agree to automate their medical records folder they wont have to deal with the issue of:

• Misplaced or lost folders.
• The long time it takes to retrieve folders.
• Different and new folders for every location: that is the folder number and folder of a patient in Accra is different from his/her folder in Kumasi

Automating their medical folders will come at a cost but the long-term benefits out way the cost. Some of the benefits of automating the medical records folder are:

• The ability to quickly transfer patient data from one department to the next is a huge asset; patients wont have to wait for long hours for their folders to be taken to see physicians or health providers before they receive care because their folders can be accessed at any point at the click of a button.
• The issue of lost or misplaced folders will be dealt with since folders will not be moved around physically.
• The space-saving benefit of a digital records environment
• The ability to ultimately increase the number of patients served per day for enhanced patient workflow and increased productivity.
• Securely sharing electronic information with patients and other clinicians.
• Customizable and scalable electronic medical records that can grow with the practice
• Helping promote legible and accurate documentation with a comprehensively streamlined, coding and billing system.
• Enhancing privacy and security of patient data since only those authorized can have access to it.
• Helping providers improve productivity and work-life balance.
• Enabling providers to improve efficiency and meet their business goals.
• Plus, an improved bottom line of the healthcare practice, enhanced through the ability to more accurately and efficiently process patient bills.
• Reducing costs through decreased paperwork, improved safety, reduced duplication of testing, and improved health.

6. Lessons for Management

Electronic medical records systems represent all the various aspects within a medical practice that work as a whole to form a functioning system that more effectively cares for patients and benefits the medical practice. For System to work efficiently and effectively Management must be advised as follows

• Although the software platform is a major and vital leg of any electronic medical records system, there are other important pieces.
• The many components of a well-established electronic medical records system include the software, coordination procedures between departments for the transfer and receipt of information, organizational rules within the office for personnel use, and established plans for continuing education and training by medical staff.
• Make training mandatory to practice.
• Training must be required and it must be completed in order for providers to be competent with the software. Publish training schedules at least 4 weeks in advance and make it very clear that completion of training is a prerequisite to seeing patients after the CPOE go-live date.
• Assume that some providers will require 1:1 training. It is resource-intensive, but an essential component of a training plan. Some practices have experienced greater than 30% of their providers that required 1:1 training.
• Provide comprehensive 24x7 support for at least 2 weeks. Make your support team highly visible and available. Make plans to have your help desk and support staff well trained.
• Keep senior leadership active, engaged, and visible throughout all phases of the project.